Normality Returns...

Picture of the card we were sent.

 The festivities are now over for yet another year and I think that everyone here seems to have had a great Christmas and New Year.

After I had returned home from guitar practice on Friday lunchtime last week Debbie came around to our boat looking quite moved, and holding a card in her hand.  "What do you make of this" she said, and when we looked it was card from the the people who had been to the new years bash which Sandra helped organise to say thank you, which was very nice.  But there was more, inside was a substantial sum of money, the guys had been round with a hat to collect for Debs, Jez, Sandra and I, in appreciation of what had been done.  I think it took us all very much by surprise, in fact I've never seen the female part of this foursome so gob-smacked and speechless!!  Thank you very, very much from us all.  The picture (above) on the card must be representative of someone but it can't be me because the teeth are in better nick.

The local marching band.

 Monday the 6th was Epiphany and here that means Marching bands and orange dipping.  I'm pleased to say that the weather this year was much better than last when, by divine intervention, the sun only came out for the briefest time while the cross throwing went on.



This years event was fine weather all the way if a little on the cool side.  The band, priests and local big wigs were all in fine form and the street sellers of oranges did a roaring trade in fact the one nearest to Tony and I all but sold out.  I guess that if you can't sell oranges on that day then you can't sell em at all!

And of course no march is complete without the clergy. 

Last years swimmer (Courtesy of Lefkas Life).

This year there were eight potential rescuers for the crucifix, however, things didn't go exactly to plan and all but one of the guys never saw it thrown the first two times.  On the third time of asking the priest pretended to throw it to make sure all the guys dived before launching in for real. I don't know if the guy who rescued it the first twice actually retrieved it on the final attempt.

I borrowed the picture of the boys retrieving the cross from the Lefkas Life site, but I think this is from last years swim, although the picture was so good and I thought it demonstrated very well what was going on.